Tag: featured

Whatcha Watching, Geekly? August 2025

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Today’s Whatcha post will be what our writers have been watching, movies and television, over the past month. We won’t be including Fantastic Four: First Steps because we have a full review of the movie. Feel free to share what you’ve been watching this past month, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang.

Kyra’s Movies

I didn’t know what a vivarium was before watching the Vivarium film. A vivarium is a glass enclosure where someone can examine a living being. This object is a fitting name for this film. The first two films I’m including in this month’s whatcha watching have a common theme: horror films that use liminal space. Vivarium is trippy. It puts protagonists Imogen Poots (Gemma) and Jesse Eisenberg (Tom) in a suburb functioning like a vivarium, but this suburb is more sinister than an observation bowl.

The human-like otherworldly being (behind the odd suburb the humans can’t escape) drops off one of its babies and commands the pair to care for it. During a classroom scene with Gemma during the film’s opening, Vivarium establishes an analogy of a cuckoo bird, a bird that replaces a baby bird with one of its own, tricking the mother bird to care for the cuckoo’s young. The cuckoo bird analogy fits. Vivarium also serves as a cynical version of The Giving Tree, with humans replacing the tree. Quick spoiler: When Gemma asks who she is in relation to the cuckoo humanoid, the cuckoo humanoid answers, You’re here to die. Yeah. Vivarium may be more of a pessimistic version of The Giving Tree.

Overall, Vivarium was a disturbing but enjoyable watch if you’re into films with an uncanny valley aesthetic. And thank you for the nightmares of an odd child screaming at the foot of my bed. I needed that, Vivarium.

I watched Vivarium on YouTube. There’s no telling if Vivarium is still available on YT as you’re reading this. Fingers crossed.

The above image sums up Skinamarink. This horror film follows two young children in the middle of the night. Their parents aren’t at home, the house loses its doors and windows, and an other-worldly presence is in the house with them. The film uses limited lighting. In fact, there are multiple scenes where the only source of light is a television or flashlight flickering on and off. That’s Skinamarink’s premise, but I don’t think the movie upholds this premise.

The doors and windows disappear and then reappear for “reasons.” I don’t know who or what the entity is. The entity has the power to erase the older sister’s mouth and does so because she calls out for her parents, but the same entity does nothing when the four-year-old boy calls 911. While Vivarium has a tight narrative, Skinamarink is all about the vibes.

Skinamarink gave me the impression of Community’s Abed making an atmospheric horror film. The shots lingered on images for too long. The images were often nonsensical. But hey, if you want to get creeped out by some bizarre imagery for an hour and a half, Skinamarink can scratch that itch.

I watched Skinamarink on Hulu. Hopefully, it can still be found on that service.

Nimona is a Netflix original film. I won’t go into too much detail. I’m writing a transgender representation deep dive for Nimona set for a December 2025 release. Yeah. Nimona offers some fantastic gender non-conforming representation, and I can’t wait to share that deep dive with you later this year.

Nimona gives me Shrek vibes, as in I haven’t watched an animated feature as refreshing as Nimona since Shrek. Nimona exhibits great storytelling. Its characters go on a roller coaster of personal growth. Good thing it’s infinitely rewatchable because I had to rewatch Nimona a lot for the deep dive. I highly recommend Nimona. In fact, one of the things my family did for Mapa Day (July 27, 2025: Parents Day, which is also for gender non-conforming parents) was watch Nimona. It was metal.

I don’t remember too many of the shows I watched over the past month. I’m certain I watched at least a few. Oh, well. I’m sure I’ll have shows for next month. Until then, let’s see what Season and Skye have been watching.

Season’s Movies

I haven’t been watching as much anime lately, but I had the itch. The Stranger by the Shore (or L’étranger de la Plage) is a short love story about Shun Hashimoto, a gay novelist ostracized by his family, and Mio Chibana, who lost his family at a young age. Both of them struggle to connect with people, which draws them to one another. They end up separated for a few years when Mio moves to Tokyo.

I won’t go into too much detail, but as a romance, The Stranger by the Shore was grounded in reality. Shun has moments of internalized homophobia. He rejects Mio’s advances for most of the movie before accepting himself and Mio. A lot of BL (Boys’ Love) manga and anime tend to shy away from real-world struggles people of the LGBTQ+ community face (outside of trying to not get caught). I found The Stranger by the Shore to be refreshing. And super cute.

The only reason I watched Jurassic World: Rebirth is that I love dinosaurs, and I wanted to see them on the big screen. I don’t care for the hybrids, even though they’re supposed to be the big bads of the movie. Jurassic World: Rebirth followed a similar formula to the original Jurassic Park, even down to the timing of the main theme song. The theme song played when we saw the Titanosaurs in Jurassic World: Rebirth. In the original Jurassic Park, the theme song played when we saw Brachiosaurus. They’re both sauropods. Coincidence?

We also had an evil dude (I forgot his name) run away with the blood samples and got eaten (just like Dennis Nedry). Jurassic World: Rebirth played it safe with the plot. It wasn’t a bad movie. But it wasn’t amazing, either.

Jurassic World: Rebirth claims Quetzalcoatlus was the biggest pterosaur to ever live. Geekly Gang, of these two giant pterosaurs, do you believe Quetzalcoatlus was bigger than Hatzegopteryx? I’d love to read your answers. 😀

Let’s see what Skye has been watching.

Skye’s Movies

In light of the recently released remake (alliteration; you’re welcome), I felt the need to revisit the original The Naked Gun. Simply put, The Naked Gun is still funny all these years later. I can understand why you wouldn’t want to rewatch it. O.J. Simpson’s inclusion in the film as a side character, Officer Nordberg, is off-putting. I tugged at my shirt collar when I saw him on screen. However, Nordberg’s scenes involved him getting injured in a ridiculously over-the-top way. That makes those scenes go down easier.

Chungking Express plays like a slice-of-life film that highlights the complex lives of people we pass by on the street. We don’t know them, we never will, but here’s a movie about them. That may go against the director’s intention, but that was my takeaway. The most notable thing I got from Chungking Express was the fantastic cinematography, namely the masterful one-takes, which made Chungking Express feel so much more like a glimpse into people’s lives.

I hadn’t heard of Night Moves until a couple of months ago. I thought watching Night Moves would be fitting since the recent passing of Gene Hackman. Rest in peace. Put simply, Night Moves was a roller coaster mystery. Most of the film is slow-paced and low-key, but once you get to the final half hour, boy, does Night Moves deliver. Hackman’s Harry Moseby is a private investigator tasked with locating a has-been movie star’s daughter. He’s not John Shaft, but he’s got drive. What will he discover…?

I had never seen Titanic up until this past month. I figured it was about time. Titanic’s focus is the romance between its two leads, but I got more from the side characters. The string quartet that was playing as the ship sank to lift the people’s spirits. The captain and designer of the ship being distraught and mortified at what became of their pride and joy. The heart-breaking moment when the naval officer shot himself after realizing the error of his ways. Those were Titanic’s real emotions.

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle again. That’s all our writers have for this month’s Whatcha Watching. Feel free to share what you’ve been watching; you’re part of the Geekly Gang, too. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Cinema Swag: Toothless Plushie

Published on by SeasonLeave a comment

Hi, Geekly Gang! Season here. How to Train Your Dragon (2025) has been in theaters for a hot minute, so I want to talk about a movie tie-in plush, the magnetic Toothless plushie that sits on your shoulder. I’m sorry, parrot owners. Polly got eaten by this tiny carnivore.

Credit: The Mystery Shack

Let’s go over the categories for review. Like I did with Krypto Plushie, I’ll be looking at size, softness, kid-friendliness, and cuddliness. There won’t be an aggregated score.

Size

Toothless is similar in size to Krypto. He can also fit in the crook of your arm, but due to his hands-free nature, he doesn’t need to. He flops around on your shoulder, but don’t worry. The magnet that holds him in place keeps him steady.

Softness Versus Firmness

Toothless is slightly firmer than Krypto. Slightly. His fur isn’t as soft as Krypto’s, either. I mean, he’s a dragon. The fibers used to make him soft on the surface are in the shape of scales. That’s a nice touch. Toothless’s scales add texture to an otherwise smooth plushie.

Kid Friendly Versus Adult Only

Toothless is more kid friendly than Krypto. His eyes, nose, and mouth are stitched on, leaving fewer pieces for kids to rip out and eat. And the magnet is easily removable. I could argue a kid taking scissors to Toothless and cutting off his wings or something, but the danger there comes from the scissors, not Toothless. Toothless is a good dragon.

Cuddle Buddy Versus Desk Buddy

Toothless is more of a desk buddy. He’s easier to cuddle if you take the magnet off, but since he sits on your shoulder, he makes a better desk buddy. He reminds me of a trophy. Except you can play with and snuggle this trophy. I talk to mine. Toothless is an amazing listener.

Final Thoughts

Toothless is fun to parade around, but he isn’t the softest when it comes to his fur. He doesn’t soothe me as much as Krypto does, but he’s a lot of fun for people who want to wear a dragon on their shoulder. He’s sold out of many Marcus Theater locations, but you can buy one online for $29.99 at The Mystery Shack.

What’s your favorite cinema swag? Do you agree with my assessment of Toothless? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading and have an amazing day.

Geekly News: August 17, 2025, Board Game Industry Drama

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. It’s another Sunday, and we have another week of Geek News. I mentioned in last week’s post that the board game industry has seen a lot of drama over the past several weeks. I had a week to collect my thoughts and figured I would try to make some sense out of the chaos.

Board Game Industry Drama

Two major incidents occurred over the past month: one involving Devir Games and the other CGE (Czech Games Edition). CGE’s drama will need a little more context and has more layers. Devir’s is more straightforward, so we’ll begin with Devir Games.

Devir Games Ace of Spades

Devir Games’ recent release Ace of Spades includes depictions of white slave owners and (as Devir mentioned in a press release last week) a black person in a state of enslavement. According to Devir Games (in the same press release), their intent was to reference the film Django Unchained. While this can explain the inclusion of these images, the terminology Devir used in Ace of Spades, and the cards’ effects, it doesn’t excuse the behavior. To Devir Games’ credit, they issued an apology and took immediate action.

Ace of Spades is being recalled, the offensive cards swapped out with new art and terminology, and the new cards will be available for anyone who purchased Ace of Spades before this change. The original game will not be available for purchase.

I first heard about Ace of Spades‘ misstep several days before this apology. I hadn’t yet seen the images. Several of the board game communities I’m a part of discussed Ace of Spades in detail. In a post that has since been taken down, one community member posted the offensive pictures and said they didn’t see anything wrong with them. Personally, seeing the images was worse. I figured they were bad. They sounded bad. But they were worse than I imagined. The one titled “Fugitive” looks like it was taken from Birth of a Nation. Wow! Hopefully, board game publishers will hire cultural consultants or community representatives (of the ones depicted) in the future.

Czech Games Edition Codenames: Back to Hogwarts

The Ace of Spades fiasco is straightforward and found a swift conclusion. Czech Games Edition’s (CGE) Codenames: Back to Hogwarts gets a lot messier. While Ace of Spades displayed obviously disturbing images, Codenames: Back to Hogwarts upset a large percentage of the board game community because of Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling’s politics and her hateful actions against a marginalized community.

Quick Thoughts on Themed Versions of Codenames

I likely won’t review the newly released Codenames: Back to Hogwarts because I don’t care for themed versions of Codenames. I’ve read a lot of Marvel Comics, and if you’ve read JK Geekly, you’ll know I keep up with the MCU, and yet, I find little enjoyment in Codenames: Marvel. People who know the intellectual property well will stomp on people who don’t. The same will be true of Codenames: Back to Hogwarts because of the game’s trivia-like nature, but this new version could give the standard Codenames’ formula a new twist.

Full Disclosure: I also won’t purchase Codenames: Back to Hogwarts because I’m non-binary, I have a trans daughter, and J.K. Rowling intends to use her royalties to target the trans community. In fact, I don’t care for Rowling’s moniker sounding too close to JK Geekly, so I’ll refer to her from this point forward as Joanne Rowling.

Quick Note on JK Geekly’s Name Origin

We named ourselves JK Geekly for Jim and Kyra Geek-Weekly (Geekly) or (Just Kidding) Geekly. JK Geekly is in no way affiliated with Joanne Rowling. We’re the jolly, queer, and effeminate JK.

Czech Games Edition’s Response

CGE’s response took longer than Devir’s because the issue is nuanced. Codenames: Back to Hogwarts is the first Harry Potter-themed board game in years. Honestly, it’s the first Harry Potter-themed board game since Joanne Rowling began her hate campaign against trans people. CGE made the decision (to go forward with the game initially) because many of the people in CGE’s staff enjoy the world of Harry Potter, but CGE came to the determination that they can no longer support Harry Potter’s writer, Joanne Rowling.

CGE had gone too far with the production process with Codenames: Back to Hogwarts and couldn’t back out of releasing the game. With Joanne Rowling’s intent clear (per LGBTQ Nation, she’s a billionaire and will donate most or all royalties to anti-trans causes), CGE chose to donate 100% of Codenames: Back to Hogwarts profits to trans charitable organizations. CGE promises its charitable donations will at least equal Joanne Rowling’s royalties.

I like CGE’s response if they were stuck with having to publish the game. I love the board game community who stood up for trans rights and spoke out against Codenames: Back to Hogwarts when it was first announced. You made my daughter and me feel accepted at the gaming table. And while I respect CGE’s decision, this situation is as messy as my toilet bowl after my colonoscopy prep. There weren’t enough disinfecting wipes.

Unlike Devir’s Ace of Spades where no hate group (or person who associates with a hate group) benefited from the sale of their game, Joanne Rowling, a member of several trans hate groups, stands to gain from Codenames: Back to Hogwarts.

Many people grew up reading Harry Potter. I’m not one of them, but this situation reminds me of when I stopped watching American Football, a sport I grew up watching, and more specifically, the NFL, because the NFL lied and covered up CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) findings. Quitting something you love consuming is difficult. If you still love Harry Potter, you don’t need to give it up entirely. Enjoy it. But perhaps you can find a way to avoid lining the pockets of a billionaire hell-bent on destroying a marginalized minority. You could try buying Harry Potter swag second-hand.

Alright, let’s get to some happy topics.

Skyscratchers Pounces on KickStarter

Every month–sometimes every week–another awesome cat-themed board game launches on KickStarter or GameFound, and I’m here for it. Keep them coming. Skyscratchers is the latest fantastic-looking cat-themed board game. Players compete by having their cats climb to the top of a skyscraper. Skyscratchers is a 3D game where magnetic kittens climb on the side of a skyscraper.

You can coax your cat to climb a level by using cat toys. Typically, you’re “safe” when your kitten sits on one of their matching color windows, but staying exclusively on your color is a slower path to the top. Calculated risks are needed to win the day.

Skyscratchers looks amazing. It’s easy to teach, and the toy factor alone has me interested. Pledges range from $30-75. If you’re interested in Skyscratchers, check out its KickStarter page.

Risk of Rain: The Board Game Crashes Onto KickStarter

Risk of Rain adapts the indie roguelike platform game into a replayable, progression-based board game. Your spaceship crashes. Players pick a survivor to guide through the alien planet Petrichor V. Risk of Rain is a truly cooperative game, because players must communicate every step of the way, and the game features some interesting game mechanisms.

I like Risk of Rain’s inclusion of a “Row.” Survivors play cards facedown to the row. While you can’t say exactly which card you played during a turn, you can hint at what you played. Monster cards are also added facedown to “The Row.” When all the cards for the turn are chosen, they all are revealed and then rearranged based on speed. This is a cleaver adaptation to Gloomhaven’s initiative system.

Publisher Nerdvana Games is a relative newcomer, but I’m impressed by their catalogue so far. If you get a chance, you should also check out Nerdvana’s previous game, Everbloom. I like that Risk of Rain plays out swiftly. Most scenarios last about an hour, and Risk of Rain offers a campaign if that’s more your thing. Risk of Rain’s pledges range from $125-235. If Risk of Rain sounds like fun, check out its KickStarter page.

Ducks in a Row Waddles Onto KickStarter

Ducks in a Row takes the idea of Mastermind (one player creates a code and the other attempts to crack it) and turns it into a multiplayer experience. One player (the Conducktor) hides the 7 Ducks of Legend behind their screen in a secret order. The other players use guessing to figure out where these Ducks are. Whenever someone draws the Goose card, everyone gets one final turn. Players score points for the highest uninterrupted row of ducks.

Ducks in a Row has a simple premise that I’m sure will go over well with families and younger gamers. Ducks in a Row pledges include a $25 standard edition and $40 deluxe edition. But you could spring for one of ten $999 pledges and turn yourself (or your character) into one of the 7 Ducks of Legend. If you’re interested in Ducks in a Row, check out its KickStarter page.

Ark Nova 3rd Edition Releases on GameFound

Ark Nova should need little introduction. As of the writing of this post, Ark Nova is the third-ranked board game on BoardGameGeek. Players build the best possible zoo in Ark Nova. And since Ark Nova is launching its 3rd edition on GameFound, game piece upgrades abound.

We don’t know much about the Ark Nova project yet because it has yet to launch, but the third edition should look amazing. If you’ve been waiting to pick up a copy of Ark Nova, you may want to consider backing Ark Nova 3rd Edition on GameFound. But I’ve found more people are willing to unload their current copy of a game at a reduced price when they back the next edition. Hmm. If you can’t tell, I’m making my scheming face on the other side of the computer screen.

Ascension 15th Anniversary Edition Lands on GameFound

I always enjoyed Ascension, but I never owned a physical copy of the game; I played the video game adaptation for Ascension, which I highly recommend. Ascension builds on Dominion’s framework. Ascension managed to add enough to separate itself from Dominion, but not add too much to bog down the gameplay. I may finally break down and purchase the 15th Anniversary Edition of Ascension because the game offers all of the previous expansions.

Ascension has consistently earned awards over its 15 years. The Ascension 15th Anniversary Edition gathers all of the award-winning game into a single package. We don’t yet have Ascension’s pledge details, but you can follow the campaign when it releases on GameFound later this week.

That’s all the Geekly News we have for this past week. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Tabletop Game Review: Flip 7

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Flip 7 takes the premise of Blackjack and extends it to party game proportions. Flip over cards one by one without flipping the same number twice. While the game choices are simple (hit or stay), the ramifications of your actions aren’t. Are you the type of player to play it safe and bank points before you bust, or will you risk it all for the bonus by flipping over seven unique cards in a row? Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’ll review Flip 7 in a moment, but before we draw our first card, let’s discuss Flip 7’s fine print.

The Fiddly Bits

Designer: Eric Olsen
Publisher: The Op Games; KOSMOS
Date Released: 2024
Number of Players: 3-18
Age Range: 6 and up
Setup Time: Nominal
Play Time: 10-20 minutes

Game Mechanisms

Card Game
Party Game
Push Your Luck

Game Setup

Shuffle the deck and choose a player to be the Dealer for the round.

In turn order, the Dealer deals one card face up to each player, including themselves. If an Action card is drawn, resolve it immediately (more on Action cards in the Game Flow section). Once any Action cards are resolved, continue dealing until everyone has been dealt a card. Not everyone will have a Number card (a card with a number). Some players may have multiple cards because of other Action cards.

Game Flow

The Dealer now offers each player in turn the option to “Hit” (deal them another card) or “Stay” (exit the round and bank their points). If you Hit, put the Number cards in a single row with Score Modifier cards.

Flip 7 features a special deck of cards. It’s Number cards range from 0 to 12. There are copies of each card equal to the card’s value. For example, there are 12 copies of the 12 Number card and 5 copies of the 5 Number card. Zero is the only exception; there’s only one copy of the 0 Number card. Flip 7’s deck also contains Score Modifier cards (Times 2 which doubles your point value and the rest adding a flat number to your score). Flip 7 also has three Action cards: Freeze, Flip Three, and Second Chance. Second Chance allows you to ignore one bust (drawing the same Number card). Flip Three allows the player to choose a player (even themselves) to draw three cards in a row. Freeze cards are given to a player to force them to stay for the round (they will not be able to draw more cards).

Remember: Players bust (don’t receive points and are eliminated from the round) if they draw two of the same Number card.

The round continues until one of two criteria are met. 1) There are no active players because all players have busted or chosen to stay. 2) One player can Flip 7 number cards, ending the round immediately.

At the end of each round, players score points. Add the value of all your Number cards. Adjust your score with any Score Modifier cards. If you Flip 7 Number cards during the round, score an additional 15 points.

When starting the next round, set all cards from the previous round aside. Do not shuffle them back into the deck. Pass the remaining cards in the deck to the left, that player becomes the new Dealer. When the deck runs out, shuffle all discards to form a new deck. If you need to reshuffle mid-round, leave all cards in front of the players where they are.

At the end of the round when at least one player reaches 200 points, the player with the most points wins.

Review

Flip 7 has taken the tabletop gaming community by storm. I can see why. It has a simple premise (party game Blackjack) and easy-to-understand choices each turn and round. Flip 7 is necessary for the tabletop community. In practice, Flip 7 is the game I can play with my grandma and my four-year-old niece. It’s the most gateway of gateway games.

Since this is the case, I’ve played Flip 7 a ton over the past several months. Seriously, Flip 7 was released during the holiday season (December 2024), I’m writing this in early May (we write many of our reviews weeks, if not months, in advance), and I’ve played this game with 10 different game groups and over 150 times. That’s about 30 times every month. I’ve almost played Flip 7 once every day. One of those months was February, so I’ve definitely played Flip 7 once every day. Frankly, I’m sick of playing Flip 7. It’s a good filler game, but I haven’t seen a game with this much crossover appeal.

And that’s a strength for Flip 7. It’s one of the few games I can get everyone on board playing. That’s why it’s necessary for the tabletop community and for tabletop gaming. But does it convince non-gamers to try other games that aren’t Flip 7? I’m unsure.

But I do like the inclusion of Action cards. There are three copies of each Action card. Freeze seems mean, but it could be pivotal in stopping someone who had an easy rise to the top of the scoring track; it’s a decent catch-up game mechanism of sorts but this can devolve into targeting the leader (like Munchkin). Players can only hold onto one Second Chance. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen a player forced to give a second copy of Second Chance to an opponent. Those cards have a way of finding the same player. But Flip Three has the most strategic value. During the early game, you may want to target yourself. Later in the game, you’ll want to choose someone else and force them to bust. Is this enough strategy? Probably not for many tabletop gamers.

I can see that people who can count cards have an advantage in Flip 7, but that takes the fun out of the game. While the rules don’t forbid someone from looking at the discard, it goes against the soul of Flip 7. The Number cards value equaling the number of copies in the deck is clever, and the game doesn’t overstay its welcome—unless you’ve played it over 150 times in a handful of months.

Flip 7’s box says 3+ players. Its entry on BoardGameGeek lists it as 3-99 players. The rulebook suggests that if you have more than a dozen players, use a second copy of Flip 7. While this may be technically true, the game plays best at 5-6 players. Flip 7 would overstay its welcome if you included over a dozen players. It would take forever for twelve people to determine whether they should hit or stay. There isn’t much else to Flip 7, but I’d be bored if I had to wait for eleven other people to make that simple choice. And forget 98 other people. I’d walk away from the table.

Too Long; Didn’t Read

While not my first or second choice of filler game, Flip 7 has enough crossover appeal to appease the masses. It doesn’t have enough strategy for hardcore tabletop gamers, but Flip 7 is the kind of game I can get my grandma or four-year-old niece to play. Therefore, Flip 7 is a good game to keep on hand for non-gamers.

Whatcha Reading, Geekly? August 2025

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. It’s Wednesday again, so we have another post from the Whatcha Reading series. Today, we’ll have our writers share what they’ve been reading over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been reading in the comments, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang.

Kyra’s Reads

Kyra’s Comics

I picked up a handful of comic books and graphic novels at the recent Comic Con Nebraska. FairSquare Graphics’ stand stood out to me. Founded in 2019 by Fabrice Sapolsky (co-creator of Spider-Man Noir), Kristal Adams Sapolsky (consulting producer for various Hulu and Netflix shows), and Ethan Sapolsky, FairSquare’s mission is to produce comics for underrepresented groups. And they sure do deliver.

I love FairSquare Graphics’ production value. Each book (even the comic books) has a sturdy, soft finish. The art is stunning. But the stories. It’s all about the stories. 2024’s A Boy Named Rose was a finalist for an Eisner Award. I’m happy to see queer stories like A Boy Named Rose in comic books (or rather, a trade, graphic novel). There needs to be more, and that’s part of FairSquare’s mission. Set in 1920, A Boy Named Rose exists in an era where it was difficult for someone to express their gender and love freely. The title character, Rose, grew up in Le Jardin (The Garden) and has lived a life of greater self-expression. Rose has blossomed within Le Jardin’s protective walls. Rose’s coming-of-age gender fluid story touches numerous people who are stuck within the confines of a world not yet ready to accept them. A Boy Named Rose offers hope. And if you might be struggling with your identity or know someone who does, maybe even a hug.

Gaelle Geniller’s art elevates A Boy Named Rose’s narrative. I can’t imagine one without the other. I enjoyed all the gorgeous dance scenes. They were liberating. And as a gender non-confirming person who’s been interviewed, I felt every moment of Rose answering the reporter’s questions. I loved how the reporter’s cigarette smoke obscured what Rose was saying. That’s so relatable.

I love Black Girl Magik’s banter. It makes sense Black Girl Magik would sport excellent banter. Writer (and FairSquare Graphics’ cofounder) Kristal Adams Sapolsky is also a stand-up comedian. You can catch her on Season 2 of Laugh After Dark on Amazon Prime Video. Black Girl Magik has a hilarious premise. “Incel Whisperer,” Moriyah Pleasant, is helping one of her clients to score a date, when her client’s would-be date winds up being an Alchemist from another dimensional. Magical shenanigans ensue after the Alchemist passes, and her mystical and sentient tool (usually in the shape of a hammer) chooses Moriyah as its new Alchemist.

Holy Beyoncé, Black Girl Magik is a fun ride. I’m glad I picked up the first two issues (the only two available at the time of writing this post) and had the chance for Kirstal Adams Sapolsky to sign them. I highly recommend A Boy Named Rose and Black Girl Magik, and I’ll be checking out more of FairSquare Graphics’ titles. If you’re interested in FairSquare Graphics, check out their website.

Kyra’s Poetry

I often revisit poetry collections. You never know what you’ll find during a subsequent read after several years. I first read Miles Waggener’s Afterlives almost a decade ago; it’s time for a reread. Waggener has amazing command over diction and enjambment. Afterlives offers vivid imagery and poems that change gears, both metaphorically and with speed. These poems flow. I love it. The pictures Waggener paints vacillate from brutal to gorgeous, but they always feel lived in and human.

I’ll share I quick snippet of “Grooming” from Afterlives.

Well into the hairdresser’s
nervous breakdown, she snapped
the smock around my neck, and in
locks and curls, the hair, more hair
than I have grown in many lifetimes,
fell onto the tiles, and I grew thin
in the oily hum of the clippers,
in the perfume of tattooed Carlotta.

I love how you can read the above in its entirety and gain one message, and then read each line as a separate entity. The language used here reflects what you may find in Afterlives. If you can find a copy of Afterlives, you should give it a try. Phoenix Suites and Sky Harbor by Miles Waggener may be easier to find, and also well worth the read.

Kyra’s Non-Fiction

Ah, Jeff Vandermeer’s Wonderbook is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to write a science fiction or fantasy novel. Wonderbook provides thought-provoking images and writing prompts/exercises, while giving the reader numerous ways of looking at the writing craft. Wonderbook gives me the vibe of a writer’s companion for the Codex Seraphinianus, only you’re supposed to understand what you’re reading. Lol

Loaded with graphs/charts, art, and writing advice from dozens of popular speculative fiction authors, Wonderbook offers a little bit of everything. No matter how you learn, Wonderbook has you covered. And Wonderbook is a living document. Vandermeer and company update Wonderbook’s online companion page. If you’ve ever wanted to write speculative fiction, you should check out Wonderbook.

That’s all I have for this month’s Whatcha Reading. Let’s see what Season’s been reading.

Season’s Reads

season’s comics

I decided to switch things up this month. Normally, I’m down for a good romance story. Is Love the Answer? scratched that itch differently. Chika is asexual, and all of her friends go on dates. But she doesn’t want to go on dates. She thinks there’s something wrong with her, so she studies psychology to figure out why she doesn’t want to be involved with anyone romantically. She discovers much about herself, but none of it is clear-cut.

Is Love the Answer? felt realistic. I appreciated the ambiguity of how Chika expresses herself. She didn’t know who she was, which is relatable to most audiences.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. That’s all our writers have for Whatcha Reading this month. Let us know what you’ve been reading. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Cozy Video Game Review: Kitaria Fables

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Kitaria Fables by Indonesian indie game studio Twin Hearts combines a farming sim like Stardew Valley with a mild adventure game. Players assume the role of a cat hero Nyanza (or Nyan for short), hence the name Kitaria, as Nyan upgrades his weapons and armor and learns new abilities to save the Empire.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re covering a video game today that’s unlike most we’ve covered in the past. Kitaria Fables is a cozy game. Full disclosure: I’ve picked up this game on sale for multiple systems (Steam, Switch, and PlayStation 4), but I’ve played the most on PS4. Cozy games have taken off in the past few years, and I’m here for it. I love a good cozy game. But how does Kitaria Fables stack up against our review criteria?

Mechanisms

Mechanisms: 7/10

Kitaria Fables has solid game mechanisms, but there’s a reason it’s often compared to Stardew Valley—I compared Kitaria Fables to Stardew Valley in the opening paragraph of this review. Kitaria Fables borrows many mechanisms, its graphic design, and some of its perspective from Stardew Valley. All of the mechanisms Kitaria Fables borrows are well done. But I can’t give it top marks.

Still, Kitaria Fables adds a few things to the Stardew Valley formula to make it stand out. Not the least of which is the adventure aspects. Gone are the procedurally generated mines. In their place are regions to explore and enemies to vanquish. Enemies will drop items to use for upgrade materials. So far, this sounds like a typical adventure game, but Kitaria Fables opts to go with ability upgrades instead of leveling.

Players can trade out Nyan’s magic abilities at any time. The only downside is that more powerful spells usually cost more magic gems. In the top left-hand corner, you’ll see Nyan’s health. Magic gems are displayed below Nyan’s health bar. Nyan can gain more magic gems by physically attacking enemies, so there’s a push-pull with varying Nyan’s combat style.

I’ve seen other games use custom move-sets similar to Kitaria Fables’ setup (like the Cat Quest series), but Kitaria Fables does just enough to separate itself from its competition. But not enough to escape a slightly above average score.

Gameplay Loop: 8/10

This score should come as no surprise. Kitaria Fables combines Stardew Valley and Cat Quest. I didn’t think of Cat Quest before writing this review (funny how both games have cat protagonists). With Stardew Valley and Cat Quest as inspiration, Kitaria Fables has a high gameplay loop score. All enemies (including bosses like the one pictured above) respawn at the beginning of each day, so it’s easy to grind Nyan to god-like powers.

Kitaria Fables has a couple of obtuse missions. I was stuck a handful of times and used trial and error to figure out what the game meant for me to do. But those moments were few and didn’t detract from the overall experience. And the NPCs rebooted their routine every in-game day in addition to the enemies respawning. If I couldn’t figure out something one day, I could try again the next. This is one of the reasons why Kitaria Fables is a cozy game. It induces little to no stress.

Narrative: 3/10

The Empire, the Calamity, Capital City, and other generic terms left me wanting. Kitaria Fables doesn’t have much of a story, and the story it has can get grown-inducing. I’m unsure if this lack of story comes from poor localization or if Kitaria Fables wanted generic names and storylines to make it easy for people from different backgrounds to follow. Either way, I’m unimpressed. Kitaria Fables has one big twist. I won’t spoil it here, even though that’s unnecessary. The big reveal is obvious.

Storytelling: 5/10

I can’t tell which score should be higher, narrative or storytelling. I’m giving storytelling an average score. That seems right. Kitaria Fables does a good job of executing its story, but it just has a forgettable story. Still, look at the adorable animal people. I love characters like Caramel, a brown furred mouse child who lives in Paw Village. Caramel will ask Nyan for a piece of candy. If you give him candy, you’ll unlock a mission. If you refuse to give him candy, you’ll unlock a different mission. This happens to be one of the obtuse story branches I mentioned in the gameplay loop section. You can unlock both missions. All you must do is interact with Caramel on two different occasions.

User Interface: 8/10

Kitaria Fables has an easy-to-use interface. During combat, Nyan will have items (to include healing items) and spells/moves assigned to hot keys. While not in combat, Nyan can pull up a menu (on the left-hand side of the screen) that will have clearly marked tabs. Players will receive different options depending on whether Nyan interacts with an NPC or an object (like a mirror to change Nyan’s appearance) or doesn’t interact with anything.

Players can pin items (if they find them in a store) to know how much of an item they need for an upgrade. This is standard stuff, but you’d be surprised how many games forget to include a pin object option. Kitaria Fables does a great job of incorporating good practices from other games with its user interface. The only reason I knock the game down a point is the Switch version. If you pick up Kitaria Fables on PlayStation 4 or Steam, go ahead and raise this score. The Switch version isn’t too difficult to navigate, but it’s lacking.

Graphics: 8/10

Kitaria Fables features charming graphics, but it doesn’t take top marks because Twin Hearts may have lowered the graphic quality to fit on the Switch. Honestly, if Kitaria Fables exclusively came out for the Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 (three or four years later), the graphics score could be even higher. Older systems may have held back the graphics, but that doesn’t mean that Kitaria Fables’ look is anything but enchanting.

I also love Kitaria Fables’ colorful world. Each zone feels unique: lush forests, dank swamps, and barren deserts. Kitaria Fables mixes up its enemies in quirky ways to match the various biomes. Despite some technical limitations, Kitaria Fables has gorgeous graphics.

Audio: 8/10

When I first booted Kitaria Fables, the music didn’t grab me. It was there and pleasant. But the more I played, the more Kitaria Fables’ soundtrack grew on me. Kitaria Fables’ soundtrack isn’t one of those wow you when you first hear it soundtracks. It’s one of those slow-burning soundtracks. I wasn’t surprised to see the Kitaria Fables’ soundtrack available on vinyl. It can be infectious.

Replay Factor: 6/10

I enjoyed my time with Kitaria Fables. Heck, I blew through the game in a few days and picked it up on multiple platforms. But I wouldn’t call Kitaria Fables a game with high replay value. I can hope that I’ll forget specifics about Kitaria Fables and return to the game in several years. While a solid game, Kitaria Fables’ linear story (with no alternative storylines) makes it a one-time play game. And that’s okay.

Aggregated Score: 6.6

Kitaria Fables delivers a well-constructed video game that combines elements of Stardew Valley and Cat Quest. I enjoyed a lot of the colorful characters and the gorgeous set pieces. And cats, who doesn’t love cat people? While I wouldn’t expect a game with a ton of replay value, Kitaria Fables is a great one-time play game, especially if it’s on sale.

5 Famous Indigenous Video Game Characters

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Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day! Geekly is marking the occasion by listing some of our favorite indigenous video game characters. Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. This list was a little more difficult to compile than one would first expect. There are plenty of indigenous people in video games. Unfortunately, many of them lean into cultural stereotypes. We’ll do our best to avoid stereotypical indigenous video game characters. With that disclaimer in place, let’s get to our list of 5 famous indigenous video game characters.

Honorable Mention: Poundmaker (Civilization 6)

Pîhtokahanapiwiyi, better known by the title of “Poundmaker,” doesn’t quite make our list because he was an actual Cree leader during the late 19th Century. Poundmaker advocated the rights of indigenous people at a time when the Canadian government was starving them and encroaching on their land. Though he didn’t hold his position for long, Poundmaker would be arrested for alleged treason. He was exonerated in 2019. Poundmaker earned the respect of the indigenous community. When Civilization 6 added the Cree as a playable civilization, they gave the honor of Cree leader to Poundmaker, a real-life Cree hero.

5) Connor (Assassin’s Creed Franchise)

Ubisoft didn’t play it safe when they moved the Assassin’s Creed story to the American Revolution. Instead of glorifying the colonists, Assassin’s Creed 3 shifted the focus toward how indigenous people were affected by a morally ambiguous war that had nothing to do with them. Ratonhnhaké:ton (aka Connor) is an assassin who worked tirelessly to defend his people from colonial oppression. Connor is divided between two worlds, which provides an interesting and unexplored perspective in video games for one of the most significant wars in American history.

4) Mina “Thunderbird” Sky (Rainbow Six Siege)

Video games don’t tend to feature indigenous characters. This trend goes double for indigenous women, so Rainbow Six Siege‘s introduction of Mina “Thunderbird” Sky was a boon. Mina Sky is a Canadian Air Force pilot originally from the Nakota tribe of Saskatchewan. She proudly wears traditional facial tattoos of her people. Her codename “Thunderbird” derives from an old legend about a powerful bird that often protected the Nakota people. Thunderbird is a fitting name for an operator who protects her Nakota and Rainbow Six families.

3) Nuna (Never Alone)

Upper One Games’ Never Alone takes inspiration from a famous Inuit legend. The hero seeks an end to perpetual winter. While traditionally the hero is portrayed as a man, Never Alone casts the role to a young girl. Nuna has to face harsh Arctic weather with only a white fox for company. She faces trials from puzzles to combat, but proves resilient. Rather than using skill points, Never Alone doles out progression through the telling of Inuit stories. This is fitting with the game’s theme of keeping cultural stories alive.

2) Thunderbird (Thunderbird Strike)

The Thunderbird is a mythological creature for various indigenous cultures. Often portrayed as an eagle-like creature, the thunderbird has immense power and serves as a guardian of the natural order. Game designer Elizabeth LaPensée takes this setup for her game Thunderbird Strike, where players control the legendary bird as it defends the land from the oil industry and restores life. Thunderbird Strike modernizes a famous legend and addresses real-life issues of industrial encroachment on indigenous land.

1) Tommy Towadi (Prey)

The original Prey (2006)–not Bethesda’s 2017 spiritual successor, also called Prey–had a story built around an odd mix of indigenous spiritual beliefs and science fiction. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the game has an indigenous protagonist. “Tommy” Towaldi can spiritually reach places others can’t. He often uses this skill to evade death and outwit his alien captors. Interestingly, a game in 2006 featured an indigenous protagonist. Most games that included indigenous characters in 2006 would’ve put them in stereotypical clothes. Tommy wears a leather jacket and jeans. He happens to be indigenous, and Prey (2006) explores his culture well. Almost two decades later, and Tommy still resonates with gamers.

So, what do you think? Who are your favorite indigenous video game characters? Are there any games that feature indigenous characters we should try? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Eyes of Wakanda Review

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Happy Friday, Geekly Gang! Marvel Studios Animation released its fifth project in its short four years of existence with Eyes of Wakanda. This series looks amazing. The premise of time-hopping through history, showing Wakanda’s secret spies, the Hatut Zaraze (War Dogs), retrieving Wakanda’s advanced technology, sounds exciting. And Eyes of Wakanda is fun, I can see where storyboard artist Todd Harris wanted to go with Eyes of Wakanda’s story, but the reduced episode run makes it difficult for the Eyes of Wakanda to find its stride.

The War Dogs’ mission is to sneak into outside countries and recover lost Vibranium artifacts that, if they fall into the wrong hands, could expose or bring harm to Wakanda. The Hatut Zaraze do their best to keep Wakanda hidden from the outside world. This idea dovetails into the first Black Panther film; Killmonger found a Wakandan artifact on display in a museum. More on this moment later. Eyes of Wakanda’s first season features four key moments in Wakandan history: the Bronze Age, the Trojan War, the beginning of China’s Ming dynasty, and the First Italo-Ethiopian War. Each episode leans into the region’s cultural aesthetics. Eyes of Wakanda shows accurate depictions of the people who lived in each location during that time. I can’t say it enough, the art style is fabulous.

I also like how these four episodes are stand-alone stories. You don’t need to watch either of the Black Panther movies or do any other MCU homework. Everything you need to know is contained in four half-hour episodes. The first and final episodes of Eyes of Wakanda’s first season stand out above the middle two. I like the idea of reintroducing Iron Fist in the third episode–there’s hope we’ll have another Iron Fist sighting in the MCU–but the middle two episodes don’t do as much to explore Wakanda. The first episode shows how far advanced Wakanda is from the rest of a Bronze Age society. The fourth directly ties into Black Panther and Killmonger (this is the artifact, the axe, Killmonger steals from the museum). I have mixed feelings about forcing Eyes of Wakanda to connect with Black Panther, but the MCU is going to MCU. The bookend episodes also delve further into their protagonists.

In the first episode, we follow failed Dora Milaje candidate Noni, while the fourth episode centers on eager Wakandan Prince Tafari. I didn’t see the same character development in the middle two episodes. Or at least, the middle two didn’t stand out as much.

Eyes of Wakanda’s short run works against it. A couple more episodes like the first and fourth could’ve allowed Eyes of Wakanda to find its footing. Several television shows need at least two or three episodes to “really get going,” and I got that vibe from Eyes of Wakanda. With a larger episode order, Marvel Studios Animations could’ve shown more sides of Wakanda.

Still, what’s here is fun, and two hours isn’t a long investment for an animated series. And I can’t stress how amazing Eyes of Wakanda’s animation is. To this point, What If? was Marvel Studios Animations’ crowning achievement for art style and direction. Eyes of Wakanda gives What If? a run for its money. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Whatcha Playing, Geekly? August 2025

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Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. Since it’s Wednesday, we have another post from our Whatcha series. Today’s topic is games, both video games and board games. We’ll hear from Season and Skye soon, but I’ll kick things off this post with the games I’ve been playing over the past month.

Kyra’s Board Games

Bruno Cathala’s Kingdomino takes the simple mechanism of laying dominoes beside a starting castle (domino piece) and allows players to build their own scoring tableau. Each domino has two sides. Each side will belong to a terrain type, and players attempt to connect like terrain types, chaining as many crowns (which will be printed on some dominoes and determine how much each terrain scores) as they can to their largest collection of each terrain type. Kingdomino has restrictions on how far out from a player’s starting castle they can build, and this is where the game gets tricky.

I don’t know how many times I’ve ended up with dead corners (corners that I can’t legally add another domino), but it’s satisfying every time I can put down my full complement of dominoes. Kingdomino is a quick game. The 15-30 minutes printed on the box is accurate. I love Kingdomino’s selection system. Each player has two royal meeples. One will claim the current round’s domino, but the domino you select in the current round will affect when you can select a tile in the next round. Each tile’s backing has a number. Typically, the more valuable tiles have higher numbers, and if you pick a higher value tile, you’ll pick later in the following round. Brilliant!

While many board games grant an advantage to seasoned players, Uwe Rosenberg’s Spring Meadow almost requires players to have a similar experience. The person who taught me and a couple of other noobs how to play Spring Meadow skunked us. Spring Meadow has an intriguing mechanism of players choosing a polyomino from a communal display and then placing the polyomino on their player board filled with holes. You’re trying to fill each row or column (depending on your board’s orientation), scoring points for each filled row or column with some added bonus points.

There are tricks involved, a dash of luck, and not all of the polyominoes are created equal. But you won’t know the best plays during your first playthrough, and if you’re playing against a seasoned Spring Meadow player, they will easily beat you. Despite my utter failure of a first play, I enjoyed Spring Meadow. I’ve since rematched the person who taught me how to play, and I managed to eek out a victory during our third, two-player play. Spring Meadow is fantastic as a two-player game against players who know how best to place their polyominoes.

I’d include Lotus in the group of games where it’s best played when all players involved have similar experience. The same person who taught me Spring Meadow also taught me Lotus, and the result was similar. I have yet to replay them at Lotus, but I plan on it.

Players compete to complete flowers. Seriously, the image above is what most Lotus cards look like. Lotus is a stunning game. It’s quick to teach, but knowing when to add pedals or use an ability makes all the difference. Usually, new players will misuse their abilities, unlock the wrong ones first, or add too many pedals to make a flower easy to complete and leaving themselves open for another player to take advantage of an opening. Lotus is the definition of a game that’s easy to learn but difficult to master. It doesn’t have a lot of moving parts, but the parts that are there are chef’s kiss.

Kyra’s Video Games

I gave Bleach: Brave Souls a try this past month. Notice how I didn’t say I played Bleach: Brave Souls. Bleach: Brave Souls offers an autobattle function. I did more watching Bleach: Brave Souls play itself than playing the game. To be fair, Bleach: Brave Souls is a ten-year-old gacha game. During boss battles, players borrow the featured character from a random player (chosen from the tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of players). Typically, I’d borrow a character from a player who had maxed out their character five or six years ago. Most boss battles had a cutscene. I would skip the cutscene, and the borrowed character will have already beaten the boss. Did I really play Bleach: Brave Souls?

Bleach: Brave Souls was a nice trip down memory lane. I wish the game had tightened the story a little bit. Each scene from the manga received its own level, so there are hundreds, if not thousands, of story levels. I gave up on Bleach: Brave Souls after a few days, but I could see the game being fun years ago, when it first released. I like the chibi character designs.

Those are the game highlights for me this past month. Let’s see what Season and Skye have been playing.

Skye’s Board Games

The fabulous Kyra Kyle has done it again. While Dorf Romantik was not a game they created, they were the ones who introduced me to it. Props to them, because I thoroughly enjoyed it! Dorf Romantik takes concepts from games like Catan and Carcassonne, but manages to be a special kind of fun. With the help of your fellow players, y’all gotta build the best town you can. It’s Sim City without financial stress. What can I say?

The Night Cage is a game that’s right up my alley. As a big fan of cooperative games, horror, and eldritch themes, The Night Cage is perfect for a dark game night with your friends. In a Lovecraftian setting, you find yourselves in a place of eternal darkness. You’re trapped in the Night Cage, and you must escape. The corridors shift and change direction. You only have a candle, and monsters hunt you at every turn. Good luck.

Skye’s Video Games

Lately I’ve been into casual phone games. Tap Gallery is a simple game about tapping arrow blocks to reveal a hidden image underneath. That’s pretty much it. While not the most complex, what appeals to me about Tap Gallery is its premise. It’s satisfying to watch every block slowly disappear from the screen. Sometimes that’s all you need in a game, and Tap Gallery has me hooked.

Cryptogram, while still a casual phone game, requires its players to use their brains. As you can likely tell from the title, Cryptogram is all about decoding a hidden message by following the clues given to you. Cryptogram helps stretch your brain while not being too difficult. Many of Cryptogram’s hidden messages are famous quotes from historical figures. Wait, you can solve puzzles and learn history? Sign me up!

Season’s Video Games

I’m kicking things off with a classic platformer. Psychonauts was released back in 2005 and is one of the more unique platformers I’ve played. Each level takes place inside people’s minds, so the player learns about each character by playing through their level. The level itself represents the character’s cognition of the world, but there are collectibles called “memory vaults” within each level. These memory vaults allow the player to sneak a peek into each character’s past through pictorial storytelling.

Players also spend a fair amount of time roaming the campgrounds in the overworld. I spent several minutes chatting with my fellow campers, collecting arrowheads to upgrade my gear and scavenger hunt items. Most objects/creatures in Psychonauts allow players to interact with them in some form, so there’s never a shortage of things to discover. I used clairvoyance on everything. Everything.

Fallout 4 has been out for ten years, but this is my first time playing it. Dead serious. I’ve never been crazy about open-world RPGs. In the past, I’d try them for twenty minutes before wanting to play something else. I tried playing Fallout: New Vegas on Steam many years ago, and it crashed every few minutes. I got frustrated and gave up on it. That said, I’ve enjoyed Fallout 4 so far. I like to stop tracking quests periodically so I can explore the world. I’m a digital hoarder, so picking up everything and being over-encumbered is my way of life.

I have one question for you, Geekly Gang. Why do radscorpions burrow under toilets?

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. That’s all our writers have for what they’ve been playing this past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been playing, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Getting Into Comics: Black Panther Starter Stories

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Black Panther has existed since the mid-Sixties, but Marvel produced some of the best Black Panther stories after 2000. Which Black Panther stories should you read first?

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. As you can guess, we’re talking about Black Panther starter stories today. Like we’ve been doing for the past few entries in this series, we’ll split these stories into single issues and story arcs. Today, we’ll begin with single comic book issues. Enjoy!

Single Issues

“Introducing The Sensational Black Panther” (Fantastic Four #52; written by Stan Lee/art by Jack Kirby; 1966)

I considered including this issue and a few others as part of a story arc. The next issue would include vibranium’s first mention and sets the stage for Ulysses Klaw to make his first appearance, but I chose to stick with Black Panther’s first appearance. “Introducing The Sensational Black Panther” centers around the Fantastic Four being invited to Wakanda. The enigmatic leader sends a hover car to take Marvel’s family to his homeland. The Fantastic Four agree, and when they arrive in Wakanda, they must survive a robotic jungle and the Black Panther himself. By themselves, the Fantastic Four are no match for Black Panther, but the team joins forces and unmask their assailant.

It turns out that T’Challa (Wakanda’s leader who invited the Fantastic Four to Wakanda) and Black Panther are the same. Black Panther says he only wanted to test the fours’ abilities and meant no harm by his attack. “Introducing The Sensational Black Panther” does a good job of showing Black Panther as formidable. Like I said, many key Black Panther elements are revealed in future issues, but “Introducing The Sensational Black Panther” is a great place to start reading.

“Death Calls for the Arch-Heroes” (Avengers #52; written by Roy Thomas/art by John Buscema; 1968)

“Death Calls for the Arch-Heroes” is another issue that sets up Black Panther; this time, it’s Black Panther’s first appearance as an Avenger. Until this issue, Black Panther served as an occasional Avengers ally. “Death Calls for the Arch-Heroes” begins with Black Panther visiting Avengers HQ to find the Avengers dead. They aren’t actually dead; they’re in a coma. Since Black Panther is an outsider, he gets blamed and taken into custody. Black Panther breaks out of jail, learns that the Grim Reaper (who wants revenge for the death of his brother, Wonder Man) is behind the plot. The two fight, Black Panther wins, reverses the effects of Reaper’s coma weapon, and then becomes a full-fledged member of the Avengers.

“Death Calls for the Arch-Heroes” marks an important milestone in Black Panther’s development. Prior to this issue, Black Panther seldom left Wakanda for long. This issue turned Black Panther into a global figure, and it put Wakanda on the map.

Story Arcs

Panther’s Rage (Jungle Action #6-18; written by Don McGregor/art by Rich Buckler, Billy Graham, and various others 1973-1974)

It took a while for Marvel Comics to see potential in Black Panther. Sure, Black Panther showed up in plenty of Fantastic Four comic books. He was even a card-carrying member of the Avengers for half a decade by this point, but he was relegated to the edges of comic book stories and didn’t have his own title. At the same time, there was another Marvel comic book named Jungle Action that rubbed proofreader (at the time) Don McGregor the wrong way. Jungle Action featured white people saving Africans or white African people being threatened by black African people. McGregor demanded that Marvel feature a black African hero. He turned to the seldom-used Black Panther.

McGregor’s initial run on Jungle Action #6-18 (Panther’s Rage) is the birth of who we know as Black Panther. T’Challa returns to Wakanda to find his homeland torn by civil war. A revolutionary leader and terrorist named Erik Killmonger had returned to Wakanda and threatened T’Challa’s claim to the throne. Yes! Panther’s Rage is the first appearance of Killmonger. To say Panther’s Rage was groundbreaking is an understatement.

More than a decade before Watchmen, Panther’s Rage was the first graphic novel. It’s been collected and reprinted numerous times, and it’s worth the read. Writer Don McGregor was no stranger to pushing boundaries. Years before Panther’s Rage, he wrote a story that featured comic books’ first interracial kiss. If you want to know Black Panther better, Panther’s Rage is a great place to start.

Panther’s Quest (Marvel Comics Presents #13-37; written by Don McGregor/art by Gene Colan, and various others 1988-1989)

After his legendary run on Jungle Action, McGregor left Black Panther for over a decade. He returned to the character with Marvel Comics Presents. The Marvel Comics Presents title was an odd throw-back to early Marvel titles. Anthology series like Tales of Suspense (which featured Iron Man’s first appearance) and Journey into Mystery (which included Thor’s first appearance) had fallen out of favor. Marvel Comics Presents featured stories for multiple characters. We’re interested in the Black Panther storyline, Panther’s Quest.

Panther’s Quest is another McGregor epic. Following rumors that his mother (whom he had never known) may still be alive, T’Challa conducts a stealth mission in South Africa. What unfolds is a harrowing tale of social injustice mixed with intrigue and plenty of action. Always willing to broaden comic books’ horizons, McGregor tackled story elements like Apartheid and the discrimination someone who looks like Black Panther faces. In short, Panther’s Quest is another Black Panther must-read.

The Client (Black Panther vol 3 #1-5; written by Christopher Priest/art by Mark Texeira 1998)

The Client marks the first entry for Christopher Priest on this list. Priest is another writer synonymous with Black Panther. Priest is also the first black writer and editor in mainstream comics. He’ll show up time and time again on this list. We couldn’t include all of Priest’s works. The two series of his that didn’t quite make our list are both named Enemy of the State. You should give them a read as well. Getting back to our entry, The Client makes this list because it introduces several key Black Panther figures like Okoye, Zuri, and Nakia. And the story does a great job of balancing the odd space Black Panther occupies.

Black Panther sets up refugee camps and offers political asylum for people fleeing ethnic wars, but at the same time, he pushes for systematic change and battles street crime. T’Challa is a man attempting to do it all. But that’s why a lot of Black Panther’s key support system (like Okoye) are introduced. Within The Client’s pages, Priest develops what it means to be Wakandan.

Killmonger’s Rage (Black Panther vol 3 #16-20; written by Christopher Priest/art by Sal Velluto and Bob Almond 2000)

Christopher Priest pushed the Black Panther forward, but he also paid homage to what came before. Killmonger’s Rage is a fitting spiritual successor to Panther’s Rage. Priest honors McGregor’s story by exploring T’Challa and Killmonger’s relationship. Priest’s Killmonger is a Wakandan corrupted by Western values. He’s the antithesis of T’Challa and Wakanda. Black Panther must face an intriguing mirror version of himself. Killmonger’s Rage shows what would happen if T’Challa rejected his Wakandan roots. 2018’s Black Panther uses a storyline or two from Killmonger’s Rage.

Sturm Und Drang (Black Panther vol 3 #26-29; written by Christopher Priest/art by Sal Velluto 2000-2001)

The world is on the verge of World War III, and Black Panther serves as mediator. Sturm Und Drang shows why T’Challa is different from most superheroes. He’s the leader of a country. Tension exists between the underwater nation of Lemuria and the surface world. Klaw works behind the scenes to stir up tensions among various nations; his machinations unnecessarily draw other countries into the mix. Black Panther advocates for peace, but at the same time, he refuses to back down or show any signs of weakness.

Sturm Und Drang explores Black Panther’s leadership during wartime. He must deal with group leaders like Namor, Magneto, and Doctor Doom. Sturm Und Drang is also the final Priest story arc on this list. He had an amazing run on Black Panther. You can’t go wrong if you see Black Panther and Christopher Priest. If you’re interested in reading Black Panther, Priest did more than anyone in shaping this character and showing his many facets. Priest’s run is chef’s kiss good.

See Wakanda And Die (Black Panther vol 4 #39-41; written by Jason Aaron/art by Jefte Palo 2008)

See Wakanda And Die might be a slight understatement of a title. This story acts as a standalone story and a tie-in for Marvel’s 2008 event, Secret Invasion. I know. I know. The Secret Invasion television series almost ruined the MCU. Believe me, the comic book story was handled with more care. But we’re talking about See Wakanda and Die. An army of Skrulls has come to Wakanda to claim all the country’s vibranium. But Wakanda won’t go without a fight.

This action-packed story shows two complementary sides of the Black Panther. First, he’s a leader, shown through tactical decisions and care for his people. Second, he’s a hero, placing himself on the frontlines. These two sides merge to make a satisfying read with excellent pacing.

A Nation Under Our Feet (Black Panther vol 6 #1-12; written by Ta-Nehisi Coates/art by Brian Stelfreeze, Chris Sprouse, and Karl Story 2016-2017)

A Nation Under Our Feet is the most philosophical story on this list. It explores Wakanda’s identity, tensions, traditions, and where they fit in modern society while looking toward the future. This examination extends to the monarchy. Does Wakanda still need the Black Panther?

These topics make sense, considering A Nation Under Our Feet’s writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. Coates is an American journalist and activist who often writes about cultural, social, and political issues, specifically African Americans and white supremacy. Coates authored “The Case for Reparations,” so Wakandan story that examines its past while looking at how to move forward is something that Coates has immense experience.

But A Nation Under Our Feet also features the art of Stelfreeze and Sprouse, who present a brilliant Afrofuturism that has a touch of science fiction but is steeped in African art and culture. The result is A Nation Under Our Feet becoming a comic you can lose yourself in as you explore the different parts of Wakanda.

Those are the stories that made our list. Like I said, I could’ve included many more Priest Black Panther stories, and anything by Coates is a great read. Let us know which Black Panther stories you’d add to this list in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.